Vaishravana
Vaishravana (Skt. Vaiśravaṇa; Tib. རྣམ་ཐོས་སྲས་, Namtösé; Wyl. rnam thos sras; Eng. 'Son of Viśravas') — one of the Four Great Kings, also known as Kubera. He is Guardian King of the North, in a realm called Aḍakavatī (Tib. ལྕང་ལོ་ཅན Canglocan; Wyl. lcang lo can), and leader of the yakshas (who are also called guhyakas).
Wearing golden armour, Vaishravana protected the gods from the asuras (demi-gods).
Vaishravana now occupies the highest position among the Four Guardian Kings and specifically protects Shakyamuni’s Vinaya teachings, protecting those who practise shila (self-discipline).
Because his breath is harmful he keeps his mouth tightly closed. He confers spiritual and material wealth on practitioners of the Dharma, symbolized by the jewel-producing mongoose in his left hand.
Further Reading
- Crystal Mirror, volume VI, Dharma Publishing 1984